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Santa Monica Homeless Men After Bringing Unwanted Attention To Themselves

Posted Dec. 19, 2013, 8:04 am

Tim Broughton / Mirror Contributor

Two homeless men were arrested on several charges at 7:05 am on Saturday, Dec. 7 after bringing unwanted attention to themselves by smoking cigarettes near the entrance of a business.

Officers of the Santa Monica Police Department were on patrol when they received a radio call telling them that there were four people who were congregating and smoking cigarettes less than 20 feet from the entrance of a publicly accessed business.

This is a Santa Monica Municipal Code violation, so the officers hastened to the location in order to put a stop to the behavior.

When the officers arrived they saw that two of the perpetrators of the crime were still in the act of smoking the cigarettes less then 20 feet from the entrance, and were thus caught (Marlboro) red handed.

When the suspects caught sight of the officers one of them threw his cigarette onto the ground.

The officers began to investigate but their efforts were hampered by the fact that both of these suspects lied about possessing any form of identification.

The officers were taking no chances and arrested both of these people forthwith.

Suspect number one was a 49-year-old homeless man who was charged with littering, a violation of probation, failing to register as a sex offender, and smoking in violation of an ordinance.

Bail was set at $20,000. The other suspect, aged 39 and also homeless, was charged with the smoking ordnance violation as well as a probation violation. Bail was set at $10,000 for that individual.

Editor’s Note: These reports are part of a regular police coverage series entitled “Alert Police Blotter” (APB), which injects some minor editorial into certain police activities in Santa Monica. Not all of The Mirror’s coverage of incidents involving police are portrayed in this manner. More serious crimes and police-related activities are regularly reported without editorial in the pages of the Santa Monica Mirror and its website, smmirror.com.

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Dec. 19, 2013, 10:34:05 am

Erik said...

Well done, Johnny Law. Way to take a bite out of crime. What a god damned joke….

Dec. 19, 2013, 10:47:04 am

johnny anonymous said...

Geee. Ok, Smoking marijuana, smoking illegal chemicals in "vaporizors", PROSTITUTION in Santa Monica COLLEGE, drinking in public on Main street, FEMALE cigarette smoking in public IS fine. Thong underwear bikinis on both men and women AND the LIST goes on for "uber cool liberal" santa monica. HOWEVER! Smoking cigarettes on the sidewalk is TOTALLY unacceptable. BOY Santa Monica Police and City Council and Mayor of Santa Monica, ARE YOUR priorities and thinking including the actions completely "SKEWED and NUTS".

Dec. 19, 2013, 11:21:59 am

Howard said...

Way to go Tim! It's obvious by the tone of your writing that you disapprove of the police doing their jobs. The Santa Monica Mirror obviously sets the example as a quality paper!
You can't hide the facts though- the suspects were obviously annoying other people that have to work in that environment, and they also have records- do any of you have kids??
I sure do appreciate that the police are actually doing their jobs and trying to keep us safe. Its pretty sad that the rest of you are so apathetic. Or, I guess its just pathetic.
Merry Christmas!

Dec. 21, 2013, 6:05:17 pm

xboomer said...

Well said Drew.
johnny is a jerk

Dec. 19, 2013, 7:48:52 pm

johnny anonymous said...

Hey, So Cal. When are you going to make trouble making strippers and college and non college prostitutes sign up for "sex offender" status TOOooooooo? Huh? When? It is NO different.
Smoking cigarettes and annoying people a "focus" for law enforcement while right around the corner massage parlors and pot clinics and alcohol drinking people with fancy clothes on. Psssssht!
Howard, I respect the Santa Monica police more than you and certain of it BUT, I also am a registered voter. I am SO tired of the BOGUS, civil rights breaking business and residents picking on smokers and putting people into the streets then saying how much of a terrible bunch of hoodlums they are. Boy Howard, you MUST live a very, very sheltered life.

Dec. 20, 2013, 12:40:51 am

Arron said...

Stories like these make me wanna wash my car on the street in front of my apt, dry it with a leaf blower, then drive over to a parking lot and back in (gasp!) to the parking spot, then go for a walk on the beach with a cigar in hand!
1st World Anarchist right here!

Dec. 20, 2013, 5:06:39 am

Drew said...

The reason we have so many issues with the homeless in Santa Monica is a result of people like this writer. The homeless, in all honesty, have free reign of this city. I believe a city-wide crackdown is in order. In fact, why not do what Weho did to eliminate their homeless issues, have the PD pick up the homeless, drive them to Compton and drop them in the middle of the hood. In a perfect world, they don't make it back. I'm tired of everyone defending these people who constantly harass residents of the city and steal anything they can get their hands on.